A Little Tender Loving Care
by I Will Achieve Vikturi
Summary: Skating is hard on Yuri some days. Which is one of the many reasons why he is grateful he has Viktor to give him a massage after a particularily rough session.


"Haa, finally..." Yuri sighed, trudging through the door to Yu-Topia Akatsuki. His coat was abandoned at the entrance and his shoes discarded carelessly. Ignoring the curious eyes of the patrons, he sulked past the tables where everyone was enjoying a hot meal, rejecting Hiroko's offer of a steaming pork cutlet bowl, preferring instead the thought of the softness of his bed.

Viktor was far too demanding during practice; the authoritative shouts of "Faster!" "Your free leg is sloppy!" and "Start over from the beginning!" had taken their toll on his now-exhausted mind, and he could not be any happier anywhere else than in the safety of the blankets. Slowly he felt the world spin around and around, even as he leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. Hand bracing his aching body, he trekked the laborious trip down the hall to his sacred bedroom, its dim lighting and familiar environment easing his spirit and making him feel safe. The bed itself, however, was threefold better. He released a long, contented breath the moment he felt the soft embrace he came to know so well ensnare him in its mighty hold.

Viktor was not too far behind, taking to his old habit of breaking in and demanding love from his favorite cuddle buddy, even after such a harsh treatment at the rink. With a far-too-loud "Yuri, let me sleep with you...!", he all but threw himself atop the poor man, who was quick to shove him off with a broken whine.

"Viktor, stop! Get...Get off me!" Yuri squeaked, crushed under Viktor's weight. With a final heave he wrestled free of the obstruction and let it flop onto the floor. Viktor whined and picked himself up, about to try again, when he saw Yuri curling in on himself. With a closer look he could see that he was softly crying. All the guilt of possibly having hurt him hit Viktor like a tidal wave of regret.

"Ah, Yuri! I'm so sorry, I wasn't careful!" he fretted, hands shaking nervously at his sides. All Yuri could muster was a cracked "Itai...", to which Viktor then froze and responded with a confused "What?"

"It...It hurts..." Yuri tossed himself onto his back to ease the pain, but all it did was make it worse. He hissed and cried a little harder. This made Viktor doubly worried.

"What hurts? Did I do it? Yuri, I'm sorry if-"

"No, it's not your-"

"But it is! If I hurt you-"

"Viktor!"

The sentence died on the tip of his tongue at the harsh shout. He stopped mid-thought to give his undivided (guilty) attention to the one on the bed. It seemed as though raising his voice sapped the last of his strength, as he then sagged into the pillows. He wiped his tears away to look at least a little composed, sniffling, hardly looking Viktor in the eye.

"It's just my back, that's all. From skating."

"Oh, okay..." His expression softened marginally, but only such. The worried look was still present, but it was clear he was relieved that it wasn't his fault. Not entirely, that is. "Can I do anything to help?"

Yuri had to think on that a moment, considering the value of Viktor's time versus a little relief from pain. As much as he wanted to feel better, he also valued the other man more than himself.

"Um, no. Thanks, though..." The thought of Viktor going to all the trouble to help Yuri with a little back pain was endearing at the very least. But Yuri was better than that. It was selfish to force someone to do anything for him.

Viktor did not seem satisfied with the answer, as he insisted "Just let me help you, okay?"

Yuri quickly relented with a nod, hardly having any will left in him to fight. Shoulders slack, he bowed his head as if in submission, exposing the nape of his neck. This was Yuri's way of showing he trusted Viktor, as he always had his neck protected, harboring a paralyzing sense of danger and subsequent fear when something touched him there. To expose it was a sign of a deep trust that Viktor never dared break. Viktor gingerly kissed the spot where he was most sensitive, then proceeded to gently guide him backwards since he had sat up somewhere during their conversation.

"Lie down for me, okay?" Viktor requested, and Yuri was not one to argue. The bed was blessedly soft and let him sink into its depths as he collapsed face first onto the mattress, sigh muffled by the pillow. Above him, he could _hear_ Viktor smile. Then Viktor mentally facepalmed as he realized something.

"You're gonna have to take the shirt off, you know."

"But Vitya...!" Yuri whined through the pillow and rolled onto his back, arm draped over his eyes as if to emphasize his discontent. Viktor rolled his eyes in mock irritation.

"Well, if you're not going to, then I'll just do it for you."

When Yuri did not answer, Viktor took that as his cue to move. He slid his arms under the semiconscious boy, lifting him just enough to turn him over and lean him against the headboard. Then with deliberate carefulness he hiked his shirt up over his head and tossed it carelessly in the general direction of the laundry basket. Situating Yuri on his stomach once more, he pecked him lightly on the cheek-or whatever part of his face was currently exposed for him-and left the room soundlessly, his feet padding along on the hardwood floor so inaudibly it was like was was merely a ghost treading the hall.

Now, Yuri knew for a fact that Viktor was at times a little extra, but even he did not expect him to return packed up to his chin with candles, a box of matches, massage oils, and a portable radio. Yuri blinked wearily as Viktor bustled about the small room, placing the radio on the desk and the candles in their designated spots, lighting each one to allow the room to fill with a soft glow and a fragrance like incense. He tuned the radio in to a classical music station and prepped his hands, spreading the oils on and lathering each finger until they were well slicked. He took his time warming it up a little before then pressing down firmly on Yuri's aching lower back. The sudden pressure startled Yuri, not expecting hands pushing down so soon on such a sore spot. But the pain quickly subsided, replaced with a satisfying nothingness. He released the breath he had not realized he was holding and melted into the sheets, which prompted a soft smile from the one above him.

His gentle ministrations trailed upward, loosening every muscle between lumbar and neck. He paid special attention to just between his shoulder blades, knowing the muscles there tended to bundle up over time as a professional skater. Yuri had forgotten what a tension-free body felt like until that little bunch was loosened and he seemed to fall apart under his fingers.

But Viktor wasn't done yet. He continued up to Yuri's neck, which he was extra careful with due to the aforementioned fear Yuri had for hands touching him there. He carefully kneaded the tension away, until he could hear the slightest hint of a purr.

"Comfortable?"

If his overall relaxed state said anything, it was a resounding yes. Yuri turned his head a little so he could see his doting husband, narrowed eyes glazed from sleepiness. He released a quiet, kittenish yawn as a sufficient response.

"I'll take that as a yes." Next came his arms, knowing it wasn't necessary but loving taking care of this precious being. And Yuri himself was not protesting the extra bit of care, either. This small observation told Viktor that his little katsudon was overtired and therefore willing to take whatever was given. Lucky for him, what was given was sweet words and tender loving care, rather than anything malicious or otherwise detrimental to his overall health.

"Vitya..." Yuri groaned in content bliss when his legs were taken care of. "Thank you...for taking care of me."

"Oh, Yuri..." Viktor sat down next to him and lightly pet his inky black hair. The individual strands slipped neatly through his fingers as he mindlessly toyed with the tendrils. "You know you never have to thank me. I'm just glad I can be here for you, that's all. You're such a joy to have around, and I don't wanna see such a treasure tarnish."

"Then let's skip the sappy stuff and kiss, okay?"

Viktor smiled at the snarky answer; it was just like Yuri. Slowly he cupped Yuri's face in his hands and spent a long, drawn out moment just staring into the eyes he had grown accustomed to seeing but never grew tired of looking at. Then his own eyes closed and he leaned in.


End file.
